The United States on Monday, 22 June imposed sanctions on three individuals and six entities operating across Europe, the Middle East, and West Africa, targeting a cross-border financial network that Washington says has been sustaining Islamic State (ISIS) operations globally. The designations, announced jointly by the U.S. State Department and the Treasury Department, cover a web stretching from France and Syria to Türkiye and Nigeria.

Key Designations

Miloud Abderrahmane, based in France, was identified as a facilitator who allegedly provided information on the use of explosives to ISIS supporters and operated digital currency channels linked to the group. Abdelhakim Boukich, based in Syria, was accused of using cryptocurrency to transfer funds on behalf of ISIS associates operating across multiple countries, including the United States. The third individual, Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad, a Nigerian national, was identified as a facilitator for ISIS-West Africa, with his money exchange businesses allegedly serving as conduits for terrorist financing.

Entities Targeted

The Treasury Department simultaneously sanctioned six entities linked to the network. Two Türkiye-based firms — Alkaram Danismanlik Gayrimenkul Ic ve Dis Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi and Spider Gayrimenkul ve Genel Ticaret Limited Sirketi — were designated for their alleged roles in ISIS money transfers. A Syria-based cryptocurrency exchange, Bitcoin Exchange Agent Idlib's No.1 Coin Exchange, was also sanctioned for its reported links to ISIS financial activity. Three Nigeria-based currency exchange firms — Generation Currency Bureau De Change Limited, Manhattan Bureau De Change Limited, and Nine to Nine Exchange Bureau De Change Limited — were added to the list for their alleged ties to Muhammad.

What the State Department Said

State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the action reflects the administration's intent to dismantle ISIS's financial infrastructure. 'Under the leadership of President Trump, the United States is dismantling ISIS's ability to finance terrorism around the world,' Pigott said. He added: 'We are cutting off the financial lifelines from around the world that enable ISIS to fund attacks, support its regional affiliates, and threaten civilians, including religious minorities.'

Pigott also noted that ISIS has been adapting its methods: 'These actions reflect the United States' unrelenting pressure on ISIS, which continues to decentralise its operations and rely on financial intermediaries to connect its global network.'

US-Nigeria Counterterrorism Cooperation

The announcement highlighted deepening counterterrorism ties between Washington and Abuja. The State Department reaffirmed its partnership with Nigeria, noting that a joint operation on 16 May 2026 resulted in the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the number two official in ISIS. The latest sanctions build on that operational momentum, signalling that the Trump administration is broadening its counter-ISIS strategy to include financial interdiction alongside kinetic action.

Broader Context

The designations come as ISIS increasingly relies on decentralised networks, cryptocurrency channels, and informal money exchange businesses — known as hawala-style systems — to move funds across jurisdictions that are difficult to monitor. This is not the first round of such sanctions; the U.S. has periodically targeted ISIS financial intermediaries since the group's territorial collapse in Syria and Iraq in 2019. The inclusion of West African nodes reflects the group's expanding footprint in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin regions, where ISIS-West Africa has grown in operational capacity. Pigott said Washington would continue using 'every diplomatic and legal tool available to hold ISIS and its supporters accountable — wherever they operate and however they move money.'